A photo that has been causing wonder for a long time in the lobby of Aurala Settlement has finally received a partial explanation. What is the picture and who are in the picture? In honor of the 85th anniversary of the Aurala Settlement, we set out to find out the background of this fascinating picture.
Yle uutiset joined us on our research trip in search of the riddle of the mystery photo. Aurala's mystery photo and our living room activities resulted in a comprehensive news story, which you can read here: https://yle.fi/a/74-20112902 .
Our investigation really began to roll when the first contact arrived from Arjariitta Vuorisen. He said that he recognized himself from the picture and estimated that it was taken in 1956 or 1957. Arjariita's memories were strongly related to the Twin Cities activities of Turku and Gothenburg, and based on the information she provided, Yle published a follow-up story, which you can read here: https://yle.fi/a/74-20114079 .
And that's not all! Sirpa Jaatinen (born Hietaniemi) brought more depth to solving the picture riddle by saying that the picture is related to the year 1955, when she and the other people in the picture traveled to Gothenburg. The trip was exciting for 15-year-old Sirpa. He said that before leaving for the ship, the group had stopped by the sculpture in front of the Concert Hall. The sculpture is a duplicate of the sculpture donated to Gothenburg. The sculpture is called "When friendships are made" and it was made by Wäinö Aaltonen. Sirpa has participated in the activities of Aurala Settlement since the age of 12. First in different clubs and then as a leader of small clubs. Later, Sirpa attended the English and IT courses at the civic college.
Based on Arjariita and Sirpa's story, we now know some of the people in the picture by name:
Thanks to this information, we have shed significant additional light on the mystery picture, but part of the puzzle is still open. Who else might be in the picture and what kind of memories are associated with it? If you have information about the picture, feel free to contact us!
